Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The influence of ethical fit on employee satisfaction, commitment and turnover

  • Published:
Journal of Business Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study examines the influence of ethical fit on employee attitudes and intentions to turnover. The results of this investigation provides support for the conjecture that ethical work climate is an important variable in the study of person-organization fit. Ethical fit was found to be significantly related to turnover intentions, continuance commitment, and affective commitment, but not to job satisfaction. Results are discussed in regard to some of the affective and cognitive distinctions among satisfaction, commitment, and behavioral intentions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Betz, M. and B. Judkins: 1975, ‘The Impact of Voluntary Associations Characteristics on Selective Attraction and Socialization’,The Sociological Quarterly 16, 228–240.

    Google Scholar 

  • Caldwell, D. and C. O'Reilly: 1990, ‘Measuring Person-Job Fit Using a Profile Comparison Process’,Journal of Applied Psychology 75, 648–657.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chatman, J.: 1989, ‘Improving Interactional Organizational Research: A Model of Person-Organization Fit’,Academy of Management Review 14, 333–349.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cook, J. D., S. J. Hepworth, T. D. Wall and P. B. Warr: 1981,The Experience of Work (Academic Press, San Francisco).

    Google Scholar 

  • Dawes, R.: 1988,Rational Choice in an Uncertain World (Harcourt Brace Jovanocich, Orlando, FL).

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., R. Larsen and R. Emmons: 1984, ‘Person X Situation Interactions: Choice of Situations and Congruence Response Models’,Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 47, 580–592.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Downey, H., D. Hellriegel and J. Slocum: 1975, ‘Congruence Between Individual Needs, Organizational Climate, Job Satisfaction, and Performance’,Academy of Management Journal 18, 149–154.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emmons, R. and E. Diener: 1986, ‘Situation Selection as a Moderator of Response Consistency and Stability’,Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 51, 1013–1019.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fricko, M. M. and T. A. Beehr: 1992, ‘A Longitudinal Investigation of Interest Congruence and Gender Concentration as Predictors of Job Satisfaction’,Personnel Psychology 45(19), 99–117.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gordan, R. L.: 1987,Interviewing (Dorsey Press, Chicago).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall, D., B. Schneider and H. Nygren: 1970, ‘Personal Factors in Organizational Identification’,Administrative Science Quarterly 15, 176–190.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kohlberg, L.: 1984,The Psychology of Moral Development (Harper & Row Publishers, San Francisco).

    Google Scholar 

  • Janz, T., L. Hellervik and D. C. Gilmore: 1986,Behavior Description Interviewing (Alan & Bacon, Boston).

    Google Scholar 

  • Joyce, W. F. and J. W. Slocum: 1982, ‘Correlates of Climate Discrepancy’,Human Relations 35, 951–972.

    Google Scholar 

  • Joyce, W. F. and J. W. Slocum: 1984, ‘Collective Climate: Agreement as a Basis for Defining Aggregate Climates in Organizations’,Academy of Management Journal 27, 721–742.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGee, G. W. and R. C. Ford: 1987, ‘Two (or more?) Dimensions of Organizational Commitment: Reexamination of the Affective and Continuance Commitment Scales’,Journal of Applied Psychology 72, 638–642.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, J. P., S. V. Paunonen, I. R. Gellatly, R. D. Goffin and D. N. Jackson: 1989, ‘Organizational Commitment and Job Performance: It's the Nature of Commitment that Counts’,Journal of Applied Psychology 74, 152–156.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mount, M. and P. Muchinsky: 1978, ‘Person-Environment Congruence and Employee Job Satisfaction: A Test of Holland's Theory’,Journal of Vocational Behavior 13, 84–100.

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Reilly, C. A., III: 1977, ‘Personality-Job Fit: Implications for Individual Attitudes and Performance’,Organizational Behavior and Human Performance 18, 36–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Reilly, C. A., J. Chatman and D. F. Caldwell: 1991, ‘People and Organizational Culture: A Profile Comparison Approach to Assessing Person-Organization Fit’,Academy of Management Journal 34, 487–516.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pervin, L. A.: 1968, ‘Performance and Satisfaction As a Function of Individual Environment Fit’,Psychological Bulletin 69, 56–68.

    Google Scholar 

  • Posner, B. Z., J. M. Kouzes and W. H. Schmidt: 1985, ‘Shared Values Make a Difference’,Human Resource Management 24, 293–309.

    Google Scholar 

  • Premack, S. L. and J. P. Wanous: 1985, ‘A Meta-Analysis of Realistic Job Preview Experiments’,Journal of Applied Psychology 70(4), 706–719.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rothstein, M. and D. Jackson: 1980, ‘Decision Making in the Employment Interview: An Experimental Approach’,Journal of Applied Psychology 65, 271–283.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenthal, R. and R. Rosnow: 1991,Essentials of Behavioral Research: Methods and Data Analysis (McGraw-Hill, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Rynes, S. L. and B. Gerhart: 1990, ‘Interviewer Assessments of Applicant “fit”: An Exploratory Investigation’,Personnel Psychology 43, 13–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider, B.: 1987, ‘The People Make the Place’,Personnel Psychology 40, 437–453.

    Google Scholar 

  • Seashore, S. E., E. E. Lawler, P. Mirvis and C. Cammann (eds.): 1982,Observing and Measuring Organizational Change: A Guide to Field Practice (Wiley, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Shore, L. M., L. A. Newton and G. C. Thornton: 1990, ‘Job and Organizational Attitudes in Relation to Employee Behavioral Intentions’,Journal of Organizational Behavior 11, 57–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sigelman, L.: 1975, ‘Reporting the News: An Organizational Analysis’,American Journal of Sociology 79, 132–151.

    Google Scholar 

  • Snyder, M., E. Berscheid and A. Matwyck: 1988, ‘Orientation Toward Personnel Selection: Differential Reliance on Appearance and Personality’,Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 54, 972–979.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tom, V.: 1971, ‘The Role of Personality and Organizational Images in the Recruiting Process’,Organizational Behavior and Human Performance 6, 653–669.

    Google Scholar 

  • Victor, B. and J. B. Cullen: 1988, ‘The Organizational Bases of Ethical Work Climates’,Administrative Science Quarterly 33(1), 101–125.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weiss, D. J., R. V. Dawis, G. W. England and L. H. Lofquist: 1967,Manual for the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (Industrial Relations Center, University of Minnesota).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Business and Administrative Studies, Nova University, 33314, Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA

    Randi L. Sims & K. Galen Kroeck

Authors
  1. Randi L. Sims
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. K. Galen Kroeck
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Randi L. Sims is an Assistant Professor at Nova University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Her research interests include Ethical Decision Making, Business Ethics, and Academic Dishonesty. Dr. Sims has published in theJournal of Education for Business and Educational and Psychological Measurement.

K. Galen Kroeck is an Associate Professor of Management at Florida International University in Miami, Florida. Dr. Kroeck, an Industrial/Organizational Psychologist, is the Director of Doctoral Studies in the College of Business Administration and Chairman of the Florida International University Research Council. He has published in numerous magazines and journals, such as theJournal of Management and theJournal of Applied Psychology, and has two current textbooks in the field of Human Resource Management.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Sims, R.L., Kroeck, K.G. The influence of ethical fit on employee satisfaction, commitment and turnover. J Bus Ethics 13, 939–947 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00881663

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00881663

Keywords

Search

Navigation